Kim Man-bae, who is accused of bribing the chairperson of Seongnam City Council while requesting assistance in establishing the Seongnam Urban Development Corporation related to the Daejangdong development project, has been acquitted by the Supreme Court. Kim was sentenced to 2 years and 6 months in the first trial, but the verdict was overturned in the second trial.
On the 18th, the Supreme Court's 1st Division (Chief Justice Noh Tae-ak) stated during the sentencing hearing of Kim's bribery case appeal that "the court dismisses the prosecutor's appeal and confirms the initial ruling that found the defendants not guilty."
Choi Yoon-gil, the former chairperson of Seongnam City Council, who was also sentenced to 4 years and 6 months in the first trial but had the verdict overturned in the second trial, was also acquitted by the Supreme Court this time. Choi is accused of passing the local government ordinance to establish the Seongnam Urban Development Corporation through improper means after receiving a request from Kim.
Earlier, the first trial court found credibility in the testimonies from lawyer Nam Wook and accountant Jeong Young-hak, who stated that "Kim did give bribes along with requests," and sentenced Kim and Choi to guilty verdicts. However, the second trial court ruled that "the witnesses' testimonies were inconsistent, not specific, and showed an attitude of evasion of responsibility, making them hard to believe," and did not acknowledge the credibility of the testimonies, thus ruling them not guilty.
The Supreme Court panel confirmed the not guilty verdict, stating, "There is no error in the lower court's understanding of the legal principles regarding the establishment of the crime of bribery."
Meanwhile, Kim was charged with asking former chairperson Choi in March 2012 to "pass the local government ordinance to establish the Seongnam Urban Development Corporation" and promising to hire Choi as vice president of Hwacheon Daeyu in February 2021, while also promising to pay performance bonuses totaling 4 billion won sequentially and giving 80 million won under the pretext of salary. Choi is suspected of having led the passage of the ordinance in February 2013. Although the agenda was rejected due to a lack of quorum in the electronic voting, he is accused of conducting a re-vote by hand, citing "the voting machine malfunctioned," thereby violating the principle of non bis in idem and passing the ordinance.